With a millennial tradition, Bergamo rises majestically atop a hill in Lombardy. Its medieval old town is one of the best preserved in the region, with vestiges of the passage of Venetians, Austrians, Napoleon and, lastly, the unifiers under Garibaldi. But, apart from its monumental heritage, Bergamo is also famous for its cuisine and for being the birthplace of one of the leading opera composers of all time – Gaetano Donizetti.

Between the Città Alta and the Città Bassa

The Bergamasque universe is split in two. The historic centre is surrounded by an old wall at the top of a steep hill in what is known as the Città Alta or Upper City. At the foot of these hills lies the Città Bassa or Lower City which spreads across the plains and is now the hub of the city’s development.

Until the 19th century, the only connection between the two parts of Bergamo was via the sloping fortified wall gates. Over a hundred years ago, however, they were joined by a funicular railway which now links the Upper and Lower City in less than five minutes. The ride affords some stunning views.

The Essential Bergamo

The two main thoroughfares in old Bergamo are Via Gombito and Via Bartolomeo Colleoni. The network of streets that fan out from there is well worth strolling through as they are structured around the Piazza Vecchia, of which the architect Le Corbusier said it was the most beautiful square in Italy. It is also the site of some of the city’s most significant buildings. Presiding over the area is the formidable Torre Civica, also known as the Campanone, a stunning campanile from where the bells once pealed out to mark curfews and which connects the Palazzo della Ragione to the Palazzo del Podestà.

At the other end of the square stands the white Palazzo Nuovo, designed by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. It now houses a library, while a second-hand book and antique market sets up shop under its arcade on Sunday mornings.

The arches attached to the municipal building on the far side of the square lead to the Piazza Duomo. Sited here and well worth visiting is the Cathedral, although absolute pride of place goes to the adjoining Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the most beautiful churches in the north of Italy. Begun in the 12th century, its Romanesque exterior belies its opulent interior, studded with frescoes, coloured stucco and marquetry work of the finest quality. A prominent highlight is the Colleoni Chapel. Here, too, lie the mortal remains of the most illustrious Bergamasque, Gaetano Donizetti, as well as those of his master, the no less distinguished Simon Mayr.

A Universal Bergamasque

No account of Bergamo would be complete without mention of the composer, Gaetano Donizetti, who was born and died here. Indeed, every step one takes through the city is a constant reminder of the romantic musician. Whether you are a music lover or not, we wholeheartedly recommend visiting the Museo Donizettiano, located near the Basilica de Santa Maria, with its collection of the composer’s personal belongings and several of his handwritten musical scores. The city’s leading theatre, the Donizetti Theatre, is yet another reminder of Bergamo’s favourite son. Adjacent to the theatre, a large monument pays tribute to his figure, while in autumn the city hosts the Festival Donizetti, which includes performances of his operas and includes guest opera stars from abroad. The festival is also a good time to discover the Teatro Sociale which, after its latest refurbishment in 2009, is unlikely to leave you indifferent.

Essential Cuisine

By now nobody would be surprised to hear about the excellence of Italian cuisine, and Bergamasque cooking is no exception. The star dish in the city is their casonsei or casoncelli alla bergamasca, a meat-filled pasta with a superb sage butter sauce. Their cured meat is another forte of the region, as are the wines. There are two venues you should make a point of visiting if you want to taste their finest cuisine. First, Da Mimmo, on the Via Colleoni in the Città Alta. Here you can taste some of the local specialities and one of the city’s most famous pizzas. The other essential eatery is the Baretto de San Vigilio. You can only get there by taking a second funicular from the Città Alta. The restaurant serves delicious traditional cuisine with signature flourishes and affords what are some of the best views of Bergamo. You simply must try their homemade tiramisu, one of the tastiest in the north of Italy.

Fire up and visit this fantastic Lombard city – book your Vueling to Milan here.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Aleix Palau, Rick Ligthelm, David Spender

This, the first part of the post focuses on the rich music scene in the Icelandic capital. As we shall see, it is an enchanting, visitor-friendly city, full of contrasts.

To some extent, if you’ve only seen Reykjavik, you haven’t really seen Iceland. What you have seen, though, is its openness to the world, its warmer, more friendly side, making you feel comfortable despite being thousands of kilometres from home. For, once you leave the welcoming streets in Reykjavik’s city centre, the distances between built-up areas grow exponentially, with population centres distributed like in the United States. Reykjavik itself is the largest city on the island, with a population of 130,000 inhabitants – 215,000 if you include its surrounding areas. Once you leave the limits of Reykjavik, nature rules, but that is another story we will deal with some other time.

While the freezing winter temperatures preclude the sort of sightseeing we Mediterraneans are fond of, a visit to Reykjavik in spring, summer and early autumn can be a fantastic experience. In early October, temperatures in the city are still bearable for Spanish tourists, ranging from a minimum of two degrees to a maximum of ten. Well, that’s cold, but not untowardly so. With that in mind, and given the scarce sunlight hours, you will feel like walking up and down the street and peeking into the shop windows ranged one after the other in the city centre. Craft stores, fashion stores and boutiques with a huge variety of apparel. Those selling jerseys with colourful, handmade patterns come highly recommended. Then there are the restaurants, musical bars, art galleries and even record shops, making downtown Reykjavik a large business emporium, although worlds apart from the crowding of the large European city centres. Here, everything is carefully thought out, but endearingly so – shops all have their own personality and service is warm and friendly. You won’t be overwhelmed by ghetto-blasting piped music, endless queues or intrusive, frenzied marketing campaigns.

When you’re ready to grab a bite, your options range from strong-tasting local fare to Italian-style pizzas, like those served up at Primo Ristorante, while appetising Nordic- and Slavic-style soups are also much in vogue – be sure to visit Svarta Kaffi, at Laugavegur 54, where the soup is served in bread. Also worth trying are the hot dogs at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (Tryggvagata 1), a street stall where, according to George Clinton, they make the best hot dogs in the world. And, don’t worry about the service. Apart from the fact that you can come across people of various nationalities – among them, quite a few Spaniards – Icelanders are friendly yet discreet people. And, don’t be surprised if the waiters or waitresses seem very young by Spanish standards. While work may be considered ennobling, in Iceland they appear to have learned this earlier than in other European countries.

For those who don’t fancy walking about, Reykjavik has several bus lines covering the city centre and surrounding areas.

A trip to Iceland could start in the streets of Reykjavik and then strike out necessarily across the island, one of the most beautiful in the world for those seeking tranquility, a magical atmosphere and nature in the raw. In the city, buildings are painted in various colours, so you can come across one with blue walls adjoining another in stately white, tainted by the passage of time. In the wild, the white of snow and ice, the bright green of the vegetation, volcanic greys and browns and the one thousand and one hues of freely flowing waters combine to create a colour palette which underscores the majesty of this land’s natural surroundings, which Icelanders have long protected, a sentiment deep-seated in their hearts.

While your first port of call may be the city, you should also consider taking the chance to venture out into Iceland’s wild, free interior. To go no further, Reykjavik harbour provides numerous options of three- to five-hour boat rides to go whale-spotting. The idea is to observe various types of whales swimming freely in the cold Arctic waters; whales of different sizes, as well as an amazing variety of dolphins. But, don’t get your hopes up too fast – the animals aren’t just out there waiting for you to come along. It’s up to the gods of the sea whether you will be lucky enough to spot them, or whether your trip will be successful. Indeed, you are more likely to get the desired results by going on an outing to the areas where those “little Atlantic friars” the puffins live and nest. Some eight to ten million puffins are believed to inhabit the territory.

But, there is a lot more to do in a city like Reykjavik. From there you can watch the fantastic northern lights and, if you are lucky, you will coincide with one of the few occasions when the city lights are switched off to enhance everyone’s viewing experience of this natural wonder. You could also visit Hallgrímskirkja Church – with grey tones on the outside, and striking forms and interior spaces – or have a dip in the warm waters of any number of thermal baths, both in the city and outside it.

Our next post will focus on one of the most prolific and interesting music scenes on the planet. Fire up and discover the world’s northernmost capital – check out our flights here.

Text by Joan S. Luna (Mondo Sonoro)

Images by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Paris makes the most of the inbound good weather by scheduling all types of events in the city’s parks and gardens. They range from music festivals to activities for kids and even spectacular light and sound shows. All this fanfare provides the perfect excuse for visitors to head for these splendid spots to chill out, refresh themselves and discover an alternative Paris, removed from its usual museum, café, restaurant and fashion store offerings. Following is a selection of some of the events that should be must-dos on your agenda if you happen to be in the French capital this summer.

Paris Plages
Who said Paris had no beaches? With the arrival of summer, the Parc Rives de Seine and Bassin de la Villette fill up with deck chairs, sunshades and areas to chill out, cool off and beat the heat. Additionally, all kinds of activities are laid on, including concerts, exhibitions and watersports. Especially inviting is Parc Rives de Seine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which covers some ten hectares stretching along the Seine riverbank. The area has undergone a radical upgrade since 2013, now refurbished as a public precinct with areas for promenading, doing sport and featuring playgrounds for small kids and even organic restaurants.

Rock en Seine
The Parc de Saint-Cloud is the spot earmarked to host one of the leading pop-rock music festivals in France, Rock en Seine. Three days, five stages, 65 concerts and 120,000 attendees await you at this marvellous venue, regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful parks. A half-an-hour’s train ride from the Paris Saint-Lazare railway station, we assure you this festival is ideal for camping out in the park, which has its own camping area for festival-goers. And, should we have failed to win you over with the location, you are sure to be blown away by the heart-stopping lineup. Now in its 14th year, it features the likes of The xx, PJ Harvey, Flume, Franz Ferdinand, Cypress Hill, At The Drive-In, The Kills, Fakear and Mac DeMarco. Irresistible, isn’t it?

Festival Classique au Vert
Running from 5 August to 17 September is the Festival Classique au Vert, where you can delight in a complete programme of classical music which spans different styles, centuries and cultures. The programme is as eclectic as the venue it is hosted at, the Parc Floral. Stretching across twenty-eight hectares, it is part of the Paris botanical gardens, together with Bagatelle Park, l’École Du Breuil and the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil. Inaugurated in 1969, it is acclaimed for its variety of vegetation, with some, clearly Japanese-inspired areas and others shimmering with flowers – they boast a collection of 650 different types of iris. A unique experience in a unique setting.

Open-Air Film Festival
Our list of festivals would not be complete without the Open-Air Film Festival, held in the Parc de la Villette, in the city’s 9th arrondissement. There you can chill out and enjoy the evening watching a movie. Admission is free-of-charge and each year the screenings revolve around a different theme. This year it runs from 20 July to 20 August and is themed on food. Talking of which, don’t hesitate to take your picnic hamper to the park. You simply couldn’t think up a better way of ending the day!

Grand Night Show at the Fountains of Versailles
At the Palace of Versailles everything is oversized, as is the stunning light and sound show hosted there every summer in the famous gardens. Awaiting you on Saturdays from 17 June to 16 September from 8.30 p.m. are two and a half hours during which you will witness an intermingling of Baroque music, interplays of light and water and fireworks worthy of the Sun King.

Fête des Jardins
The twentieth Fête des Jardins (Paris Garden Festival) is held when summer gives way to autumn. This festival is hosted at some 150 venues in Paris and its environs and for one weekend a plethora of activities for all audiences are on offer, from guided visits to gardening workshops, games, concerts, tours, etc. One of the aims of this event is to reveal to the public all the ins and outs of landscaping and gardening and the elements involved in these professions. It is also a great chance to visit certain gardens which are only open to the public on this occasion.

Book your Vueling to Paris for these summer festivals, when you can get to visit its magnificent parks and gardens.

Text by Los viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Photos by Zélie Noreda - Photographie, Ken Eckert

The Ribera del Duero is renowned for being one of Spain’s leading winemaking regions. Sited along the banks of the river Duero, it covers an area of 115 km long by 35 km wide, distributed between the provinces of Soria, Burgos, Segovia and Valladolid. The landscape is characterised by vast swathes of vineyards stretching along the Duero riverbanks, dotted with wine cellars at certain intervals. For wine connoisseurs, moving about this region means revisiting the source of familiar tastes and aromas which they will have encountered at wine-tastings, romantic evenings or festivities. For the novice, it is a unique opportunity to make a triumphal entry into the complex world of nuances. Here are some details on the essential things to do in this region:

1. An Appetiser – Aranda de Duero and its Underground Cellars

Located in the heart of the region, Aranda de Duero is one of the main towns in the Ribera del Duero. Hidden in the basements of the old town is what is known as the bodega de Las Ánimas, no less than 7 kilometres of tunnels and galleries that were excavated between the 13th and 18th century to harness the constant humidity and temperature values (11–13°C) for wine-making. A tour of this cellar can be rounded off by a visit to the Centro de Interpretación de la Arquitectura del Vino (CIAVIN), which highlights how Aranda de Duero and the Ribera del Duero are closely related to wine.

2. Between Glasses of Wine

Let’s cut to the quick –the time has come to meet the makers of “the elixir of Bacchus”. Amid the vast, never-ending array of wine cellars, the best thing is to make a selection of what we’re most interested in, from mere curiosity, through entertainment, to seeking out a particular flavour. In recent times, some wine merchants have elected to revamp their corporate image, as evinced in the design of their buildings. It is therefore rewarding to view the results of applying the latest trends in architecture to their wineries. A case in point is the Bodegas Portia, the work of Norman Foster, Protos, designed by Richard Rogers, along with Alonso Balaguer and Arquitectos Asociados, and the Cepa 21, Pagos del Rey and Legaris wineries.

For those hankering after new sensations, the Matarromera Group, among a wealth of other enotouristic experiences, offer visitors the chance to take on the role of a viniculturist and make their own wine. Exciting, don’t you think?

If you happen to be here during the wine harvest (October–November), some wineries allow you to take part in them, as with the Condado de Haza winery, which hosts a Jornada de Vendimia. But, remember, in all instances you have to book ahead – don’t forget it!

3. Eating Lechazo

The star dish in the Ribera del Duero is lechazo (suckling lamb), roasted over a wood fire after being marinated in a good local wine. We can recommend the Molino de Palacios which, as its name indicates, is located in a windmill in Peñafiel. In autumn they hold a “Game and Field Mushroom Day”. Another pleasant grill-house is the Lagar de Isilla, in Aranda de Duero.

4. A Tour of Peñafiel Castle

Halfway between Valladolid and Aranda de Duero lies the magnificent town of Peñafiel with its striking, walled castle, set atop a hill, dating back to the 10th century. Declared a national monument in 1917, it now houses the Provincial Wine Museum, which promotes the province of Valladolid through the world of wine. Don’t miss out on the stunning views of the valley!

5. Let’s Join the Fiesta!

One of the many summer fiestas which take place in mid-August is Sonorama Ribera, a festival which proves that domestic and international pop and rock marry well with the region’s wine culture. In addition to a wealth of music, the festival programme includes wine tastings, wine cellar breakfasts and more.

6. Wine Therapy?

After all this hustle and bustle, take a well-earned rest and try the treatment offered by the Lavida spa hotel in which the benefits of wine are applied to skin care.

Don’t miss the chance to discover this land of wines – book your fare now!

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Ruta del Vino Ribera del Duero